CA1098883A - Apparatus for chopping strand - Google Patents
Apparatus for chopping strandInfo
- Publication number
- CA1098883A CA1098883A CA277,904A CA277904A CA1098883A CA 1098883 A CA1098883 A CA 1098883A CA 277904 A CA277904 A CA 277904A CA 1098883 A CA1098883 A CA 1098883A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- blade
- chopper
- blades
- roll
- assembly according
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01G—PRELIMINARY TREATMENT OF FIBRES, e.g. FOR SPINNING
- D01G1/00—Severing continuous filaments or long fibres, e.g. stapling
- D01G1/02—Severing continuous filaments or long fibres, e.g. stapling to form staple fibres not delivered in strand form
- D01G1/04—Severing continuous filaments or long fibres, e.g. stapling to form staple fibres not delivered in strand form by cutting
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
- B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
- B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
- B26D7/26—Means for mounting or adjusting the cutting member; Means for adjusting the stroke of the cutting member
- B26D7/2614—Means for mounting the cutting member
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
- C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
- C03B37/10—Non-chemical treatment
- C03B37/16—Cutting or severing
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S83/00—Cutting
- Y10S83/913—Filament to staple fiber cutting
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T83/00—Cutting
- Y10T83/465—Cutting motion of tool has component in direction of moving work
- Y10T83/4766—Orbital motion of cutting blade
- Y10T83/4795—Rotary tool
- Y10T83/483—With cooperating rotary cutter or backup
- Y10T83/4838—With anvil backup
- Y10T83/4841—With resilient anvil surface
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T83/00—Cutting
- Y10T83/465—Cutting motion of tool has component in direction of moving work
- Y10T83/4766—Orbital motion of cutting blade
- Y10T83/4795—Rotary tool
- Y10T83/483—With cooperating rotary cutter or backup
- Y10T83/4844—Resiliently urged cutter or anvil member
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T83/00—Cutting
- Y10T83/929—Tool or tool with support
- Y10T83/9372—Rotatable type
- Y10T83/9396—Shear type
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T83/00—Cutting
- Y10T83/929—Tool or tool with support
- Y10T83/9457—Joint or connection
- Y10T83/9464—For rotary tool
Abstract
APPARATUS FOR CHOPPING STRAND
Abstract of the Disclosure A blade roll for a chopper of glass fiber strands having elastomer means for supporting the blades and blade retaining means to cooperate with the elastomeric means for restraining movement of the blades in both a circumferential and radially outward direction.
Abstract of the Disclosure A blade roll for a chopper of glass fiber strands having elastomer means for supporting the blades and blade retaining means to cooperate with the elastomeric means for restraining movement of the blades in both a circumferential and radially outward direction.
Description
1 APPARATUS FOR CHOPPING STRAND ~;
Back~round of the Invention Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chopper assembly for cutting fibers into short lengths and ;s particularly applicable to the severing of glass fiber strands. More particularly, the present invention relates to a blade roll for use with the chopper assembly.
Description of Prior Art Heretofore it has been known to sever linear ~
materials into regu1ar lengths by passing the material ~^
between a backup roll and a blade rol1 with a series of blades mounted and spaced evenly about its periphery and projecting radially therefrom.
A typical prior art blade roll comprises a stainless steel cylindrical member which has been milled with a plurality of slots. Cutting blades are subsequently positioned within the milled slots. In the past, the slots have been milled to have a thickness larger than the section of the chopper blade to be mounted therein in order to avoid the excessive cost of milling each slot to the exact width of an individual chopper blade. By milling the slots to be somewhat larger than the chopper blades, (e.g. 0.002-0.00~ in. as taught in U.S. Patent 3,869,268) the blades tend to vibrate within the slots during the operation of the blade roll. This vibration causes the chopper blades to wear more rapidly and thus shortens the effective life of the chopper blade. The prior art as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,508,461 in order to more firmly hold the chopper blades in position in the blade roll, incorporated a resilient gasket which is mounted in contact with the end edges of the blades positioned in the _ 1 _ ~9~3 blade roll and by an end cap which is fastened securely to the blade roll. It is necessary to tightly fasten the end caps against the gasket in order to rigidly fix the blades so as to prevent their outward movement from the blade roll member, but this often results in the blades cutting through the resilient gasket entirely. This cutting or tearing apart o~ the gasket not only destroys the ability of the gasket to retain the chopper blades in position, but also creates other hazards as well since fragments of the gasket may fly out and contaminate the material being chopped or may actually strike an operator of the chopper assembly. ~ -' U.S. Patent No. 3,66~109 discloses protrusions 51 and 51A to restrain movement in a circumferential direction.
U.S. Patents Nos. 3,130,619 and 3,118,336 disclose blade rolls which are comprised of plastic or rubber like materials, but neither reference suggests milling slots in the blade roll to support the blades. More particularly, U.S. Patent 3,118,336 utilizes a complex system of wires to hold embedded blades in position. U.S. Patent 3,130,619 also embeds a plurality of blades in its blade roll which is preferably comprised of Teflon (registered Trademark of E.
I. DuPont). Embedding the blades in the blade roll material has several disadvantages, including a more costly initial construction, and the inconvenience and difficulty of replacing worn out blades.
Accordingly, it is an obiect of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of prior art blade rolls by providing a blade roll which increases the effective chopping life of the blades.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a blade roll for use in a chopper assembly which substantially eliminates undesirable vibration of t~e c~opper blades mounted within the blade roll member.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved chopper assembly for cutting strands into s~ort lengt~s comprising a hlade roll comprising a blade roll cylinder m~mber having a plurality of chopper blades projecting generally radially therefrcm, each of the blades having a cutting edge, a base portion, and two sides, and blade re-taining means, at least the radially outer portion of said blade roll cylinder m~ber comprising a resilient, durable, elastomer, said elastGmer having a Shore A hardness greater than t~e hardness of the outer circu~erential surface of said back up roll, said elastomer having a generally cylindrical outer surface conf:iguration, said outer surface being provided with a plurality of nilled slots therein which extend generally in an axial direction, &aid m~lled slots having a thickness slightly less than the thickness of said base portion of said chopper blades whereby the sides of the slots grip said chopper blades ~hen &aid chopper blades are positioned in said slots;
a backup roll adjacent to the blade roll means for supplying strands between said blades and said back up roll and means for rotating said blade roll and said back up roll so that said strands delivered between said blades and said back up roll æ e cut into short lengths.
Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 is a diagramatic front elevation of a chopper assemhly and its associated equip~ent for drawing continuous filaments Erom a source and advancing those filaments between a blade roll and back up roll to a collection conveyor;
FIG. 2 is a disassembled perspective view of the blade roll of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partially broken away perspective of a blade roll cylinder member constructed in acoordance with one aspect of t~e present invention;
FIG. 4 is an assembled section of the blade roll in perspective;
FIG. 5 is a broken perspective of a blade retainer ring after u~se in accordance with ~he present invention.
De~ailed Description of the Preferred E~bodiments qhe apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, with ~he exception of the specific construction of the blade roll 29, is t~at descr.ibed and illustrated in FIG. 1 of U.S. Patent ~o. 3,815,461.
In a preferred e~bodiment of t~e present invention, the blade roll cylindrlcal m~ber 29 ccmprises a resilient, durable elastomer -tire 30 ~hich is affixed to a co.re 41 of the blade roll cylinder member 29.
The core 41 may ke co~prised of any su.itable materlal, e.g.
stalnless steel. The tire 30 may be cast on the core 41 in a mold and affixed to the outer surface -:
~Y~ 3 1 thereof by the formation of dove-tail shaped projections 40 which prevent the coating from pulling away from the core 41. The core ~1 further includes a centrally located open cylindrical hub suitable for mounting on the shaft 31. This hub narrows as at 37 for frictional engagement with the shaft so as to drive the blade roll when the shaft is rotated.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the blade$ 28 preferably are generally trapazoidal in plan view with the cutting edge 53 on the smaller parallel side. The portion 43 of the blade 28 closer to the larger parallel side includ;ng the generally rectangular area is adapted to be positioned in slots 39 in the tire 30. The sides 47 of the blade 28 cooperate with the blade retainers 32 to prevent the blades from moving radially outwardly from the slots.
As noted above, it was known to mill slots in a - stainless steel core and to position the chopper blades therein. However, due to the variations inherent in normal milling procedures and in the thickness of the base of the chopper blades, it was common to mill the slots to a width slightly greater than the thickness of the mounting portion (base) of the chopper blades so as to facilitate insertion of the chopper blades into the slots. Although this difference was often very slight, e.g. 0.002-0.004 inch greater than the thickness of the base of the blade, it permitted the chopper blades to vibrate within the slot and thus decrease the effective life of the chopper blade due to more rapid wear of the cutting edge. Also, this vihration, especially when coupled with means to securely hold the end portion of the blades, resulted in excessive strain on the blades which frequently caused the blades to break and the broken portions ~3B~3 1 to ~ly out from the blade roll. According to the present invention, these disadvantages are eliminated by utilizing a resilient, durable elastomer tire on the blade roll cylinder member. Slots 39 are milled in the resilient elastomer tire 30 to a thickness slightly less than ~e.g. 0.0005 to 0.001 inch) the thickness of the portion 43 oF the chopper blade 28. With such an arrangement, the portion 43 of each chopper blade 28 is held securely within its corresponding slot 39 and excessive vihration is eliminated, thereby increasing the effective chopper blade life by 30-40%. Also, noise levels from the operation of the assembly are redu~ed due to the damping characteristics of the elastomer and the initial manufacturing cost is substantially lower than that for the prior art blade rolls.
The resilient, durable elastomer tire 30 should have a Shore A hardness which is greater than the hardness of the material coating the backup roll 19. One suitable combination would be a polyurethane having a 100 ~5 durometer Shore A hardness for use as the tire 30 and a polyurethane having a Shore A hardness of 83 +2 durometer for coating the backup roll 19. Other elastomeric materials may be suitable for use as the elastomer in the tire 30, but any material utilized must have a high abrasion resistance, must be capable of being milled, must be capable of being elongated and returning to its original form without serious deformation, and must not be subject to "cold flowg" that is permanently deforming in response to strain.
The urethane tire 3~ is provided with a notch 48 situated on each lateral edge approximately half way between the surface of the core 41 and the outer circumferential surface of the tire 30. This notch is provided so that even 1 if the elastomer surface expands during operation of the blade roll~ the ends of the blades situated in the slots will still contact the blade retaining means.
The depth of the slots in ~he elastomer coating 30 are not critical, but the slots must be deep enough to hold securely at least the base portion 43 of the chopper blade in position in the blade roll cylinder member. The slots 39 extend in an axial direction at a slight angle (e.g. between 5 and 20) with respect to the axis of rotation of the blade roll cylinder member 29. The chopper blades 28 protrude radially outwardly from the circumferential surface of the tire 30 to a height which is normally about one-fourth the depth of the slots. It has been useful to use slots having a depth of about 0.5 inch with a blade having a height of about 0.~25 inch so that the blade protrudes about 0.125 inch and a blade thickness of about .0~0 inch along its base 43. The blades 28 extend in an axial direction a distance slightly greater than the axial extent o~ the slots 39 so that each side of the blade protrudes in an axial direction from the tire 30. With this construction the blades are securely held in position in the blade roll cylinder 29 and the urethane coating on which the blades are seated absorbs the shock imposed when cutting the strands 15.
The urethane facing 21 on ~he backup roll 19 wears under the chopper blades 28. Such wear is accommodated in part by arranging for relative movement between the blade roll 38 and the backup roll 19. The backup roll 19 can be reversed so that its strand starter reg-ion, that region unobstructed by the chopper blade 28, can be interchanged with its chopping region, that portion contacted by the blades. Furthermore, the urethane facing 21 can be replaced as can be the urethane coating 30.
~s9~ 3 1 In addition to the blade roll cylinder member and the chopper blades, the blade roll 38 further includes blade retaining means. A preferred embodiment of a suitable blade retain;ng means is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. A pair of annular blade retainers 32 having inwardly directed flanges 33 with slopes matching the incline of the trapezoidal blades 28 (e.g. 60 with respec~ to the axis of rotation of the blade roll 3~) are secured to the ends of the core 41 of the blade roll cylinder member 29. The blade roll cylinder member 29 and the annular blade retainers 32 may be constructed with aligning holes, as at 46, through which socket head cap screws 44 may be threaded so as to fasten the blade retainer to the side of the blade roll cylinder member. Other eonven-tional fastening means could be employed if desired, so long ~;
as the blade retaining means contacts the ends of the chopper blades. A blade roll end cover 42 finishes each end face of the blade roll 38.
As illustrated in FIG. 2~ retainers 32 have annular grooves 34 in the inwardly directed flanges 33.
Blade retaining rings 36 are partially positioned within each annular groove 34 such that the blade retaining rings will engage the ends of the chopper blades to hold the chopper blades in position in the blade roll cylinder member when the blade retainers are in place at the ends of the blade roll cylinder member 29. Thus, the blade retaining rings 36 will accomodate any dimensional differences in components. By positioning a portion of the blade retaining rings within the annular grooves 34 the chopper blades 28 cannot completely sever the retaining rings and therefore the prior art disadvantage of having portions of the retaining means severed by the edges of the blades such that portions fly out from the assembly during oFeration is eliminated.
Although the mwardly directed ~lange 33 of each blade retainer 32 may be supplied with only one annular groove 34, it is preferred t~at each flange be designed with two or moxe annular grooves. Also, the grooves as illustrated preferably should have a diameter less than the diamcter of the outer surface of the tire 30. However, it is possible to provide a groove l~ving a diameter greater t~an the diameter of the outer surface of ~he tire 30. Providing two blade retaining rings per blade retainer instead of one blade retaining ring per blade retainer reduces t~e stress on t~e blade retaining ring by a ~actor of -two.
~herefore, to decrease the amount of load Fer unit area of the blade retaining ring and to mlnimize safety hazards, it is pre~erable to use m~re than one retaining ring in each blade retainer. Each annular groove is supplied with one blade retaining ring 36.
It has been f3und that copper is an especially suitable material for use as the bla~e retaining rings 36. As -force is applied to the retainers 32 when the screws 44 are tightened, the copper is crushed by the blades and will "cold flow" around and grip the ends of the chopper blades 28. After such force has been applied and the chopper assembly 17 is ready ~or use, the chopper blade retaining rings will have the configuration as show~l in FIG. 5 and represented by reference num~ral 3~a. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the axial length of the chop~er blades 28 is slightly longer than ~he axial length of the slots 39. Therefore, initially the axial extremities of ~he tire 30 do not contact t~e axially inward surfaces of the retainers 32.
A~ ~,' . 1. ~:.
~ g~ 3 1 From this figure, it is apparent that the sides 47 of the chopper blades 28 have produced a series of indentations 45 in the retaining rings. These indentations do not go through the entire ring, since even at the greatest dimensional tolerance~ movement of the chopper blades into the copper rings 36 will be stopped if they contact the blade retainer 32 which is preferably constructed of a high strength steel alloy due to the hiyh stress loading resulting from bold torques. The three sides of the indentations 45 tend to grip the ends 47 of the chopper blades. This construction compensates For dimensional variances in the axial lengths of the blades. The maximum length will be when both sides of the axially longest blade are in contact with the axially inward surfaces of the retainers 32. The sides of the blades 28 not in contact with the axially inward surfaces of the retainers 32 are restrained from radially outward movement due to centrifugal force by contact with the copper rings.
The indentations 45 also assist the tire 30 in restraining circumferential movement of the blades 38. The axially inward surfaces of ~he blade retainer 32 cooperate with the sides 47 of the trapezoidal blades to prevent the chopper blades from flying out of the blade roll cylinder member 29.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the blade retaining rings are comprised of copper. These copper rings are situated such that approximately 60% of the ring is within the recessed groove 34. The ends 47 of the chopper blades 2~ crush the copper ring and form the indentations 45 discussed above. Other materials may be suitable for use as the blade retaining rings. The amount of the blade retaining riny positioned within the groove 34 is not critical so long as a sufficient percentage is recessed to prevent !33 1 the ends 47 of the chopper blades 28 from completely cutting or tearing through the blade retaining ring.
The apparatus of the present invention lends itself to modification and has utility even in those instances where certain of the features illustrated are eliminated.
Accordingly9 it is to be understood that the above description is to be read as illustrative of the invention and not in a restrictive sense.
Back~round of the Invention Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chopper assembly for cutting fibers into short lengths and ;s particularly applicable to the severing of glass fiber strands. More particularly, the present invention relates to a blade roll for use with the chopper assembly.
Description of Prior Art Heretofore it has been known to sever linear ~
materials into regu1ar lengths by passing the material ~^
between a backup roll and a blade rol1 with a series of blades mounted and spaced evenly about its periphery and projecting radially therefrom.
A typical prior art blade roll comprises a stainless steel cylindrical member which has been milled with a plurality of slots. Cutting blades are subsequently positioned within the milled slots. In the past, the slots have been milled to have a thickness larger than the section of the chopper blade to be mounted therein in order to avoid the excessive cost of milling each slot to the exact width of an individual chopper blade. By milling the slots to be somewhat larger than the chopper blades, (e.g. 0.002-0.00~ in. as taught in U.S. Patent 3,869,268) the blades tend to vibrate within the slots during the operation of the blade roll. This vibration causes the chopper blades to wear more rapidly and thus shortens the effective life of the chopper blade. The prior art as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,508,461 in order to more firmly hold the chopper blades in position in the blade roll, incorporated a resilient gasket which is mounted in contact with the end edges of the blades positioned in the _ 1 _ ~9~3 blade roll and by an end cap which is fastened securely to the blade roll. It is necessary to tightly fasten the end caps against the gasket in order to rigidly fix the blades so as to prevent their outward movement from the blade roll member, but this often results in the blades cutting through the resilient gasket entirely. This cutting or tearing apart o~ the gasket not only destroys the ability of the gasket to retain the chopper blades in position, but also creates other hazards as well since fragments of the gasket may fly out and contaminate the material being chopped or may actually strike an operator of the chopper assembly. ~ -' U.S. Patent No. 3,66~109 discloses protrusions 51 and 51A to restrain movement in a circumferential direction.
U.S. Patents Nos. 3,130,619 and 3,118,336 disclose blade rolls which are comprised of plastic or rubber like materials, but neither reference suggests milling slots in the blade roll to support the blades. More particularly, U.S. Patent 3,118,336 utilizes a complex system of wires to hold embedded blades in position. U.S. Patent 3,130,619 also embeds a plurality of blades in its blade roll which is preferably comprised of Teflon (registered Trademark of E.
I. DuPont). Embedding the blades in the blade roll material has several disadvantages, including a more costly initial construction, and the inconvenience and difficulty of replacing worn out blades.
Accordingly, it is an obiect of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of prior art blade rolls by providing a blade roll which increases the effective chopping life of the blades.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a blade roll for use in a chopper assembly which substantially eliminates undesirable vibration of t~e c~opper blades mounted within the blade roll member.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved chopper assembly for cutting strands into s~ort lengt~s comprising a hlade roll comprising a blade roll cylinder m~mber having a plurality of chopper blades projecting generally radially therefrcm, each of the blades having a cutting edge, a base portion, and two sides, and blade re-taining means, at least the radially outer portion of said blade roll cylinder m~ber comprising a resilient, durable, elastomer, said elastGmer having a Shore A hardness greater than t~e hardness of the outer circu~erential surface of said back up roll, said elastomer having a generally cylindrical outer surface conf:iguration, said outer surface being provided with a plurality of nilled slots therein which extend generally in an axial direction, &aid m~lled slots having a thickness slightly less than the thickness of said base portion of said chopper blades whereby the sides of the slots grip said chopper blades ~hen &aid chopper blades are positioned in said slots;
a backup roll adjacent to the blade roll means for supplying strands between said blades and said back up roll and means for rotating said blade roll and said back up roll so that said strands delivered between said blades and said back up roll æ e cut into short lengths.
Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 is a diagramatic front elevation of a chopper assemhly and its associated equip~ent for drawing continuous filaments Erom a source and advancing those filaments between a blade roll and back up roll to a collection conveyor;
FIG. 2 is a disassembled perspective view of the blade roll of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partially broken away perspective of a blade roll cylinder member constructed in acoordance with one aspect of t~e present invention;
FIG. 4 is an assembled section of the blade roll in perspective;
FIG. 5 is a broken perspective of a blade retainer ring after u~se in accordance with ~he present invention.
De~ailed Description of the Preferred E~bodiments qhe apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, with ~he exception of the specific construction of the blade roll 29, is t~at descr.ibed and illustrated in FIG. 1 of U.S. Patent ~o. 3,815,461.
In a preferred e~bodiment of t~e present invention, the blade roll cylindrlcal m~ber 29 ccmprises a resilient, durable elastomer -tire 30 ~hich is affixed to a co.re 41 of the blade roll cylinder member 29.
The core 41 may ke co~prised of any su.itable materlal, e.g.
stalnless steel. The tire 30 may be cast on the core 41 in a mold and affixed to the outer surface -:
~Y~ 3 1 thereof by the formation of dove-tail shaped projections 40 which prevent the coating from pulling away from the core 41. The core ~1 further includes a centrally located open cylindrical hub suitable for mounting on the shaft 31. This hub narrows as at 37 for frictional engagement with the shaft so as to drive the blade roll when the shaft is rotated.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the blade$ 28 preferably are generally trapazoidal in plan view with the cutting edge 53 on the smaller parallel side. The portion 43 of the blade 28 closer to the larger parallel side includ;ng the generally rectangular area is adapted to be positioned in slots 39 in the tire 30. The sides 47 of the blade 28 cooperate with the blade retainers 32 to prevent the blades from moving radially outwardly from the slots.
As noted above, it was known to mill slots in a - stainless steel core and to position the chopper blades therein. However, due to the variations inherent in normal milling procedures and in the thickness of the base of the chopper blades, it was common to mill the slots to a width slightly greater than the thickness of the mounting portion (base) of the chopper blades so as to facilitate insertion of the chopper blades into the slots. Although this difference was often very slight, e.g. 0.002-0.004 inch greater than the thickness of the base of the blade, it permitted the chopper blades to vibrate within the slot and thus decrease the effective life of the chopper blade due to more rapid wear of the cutting edge. Also, this vihration, especially when coupled with means to securely hold the end portion of the blades, resulted in excessive strain on the blades which frequently caused the blades to break and the broken portions ~3B~3 1 to ~ly out from the blade roll. According to the present invention, these disadvantages are eliminated by utilizing a resilient, durable elastomer tire on the blade roll cylinder member. Slots 39 are milled in the resilient elastomer tire 30 to a thickness slightly less than ~e.g. 0.0005 to 0.001 inch) the thickness of the portion 43 oF the chopper blade 28. With such an arrangement, the portion 43 of each chopper blade 28 is held securely within its corresponding slot 39 and excessive vihration is eliminated, thereby increasing the effective chopper blade life by 30-40%. Also, noise levels from the operation of the assembly are redu~ed due to the damping characteristics of the elastomer and the initial manufacturing cost is substantially lower than that for the prior art blade rolls.
The resilient, durable elastomer tire 30 should have a Shore A hardness which is greater than the hardness of the material coating the backup roll 19. One suitable combination would be a polyurethane having a 100 ~5 durometer Shore A hardness for use as the tire 30 and a polyurethane having a Shore A hardness of 83 +2 durometer for coating the backup roll 19. Other elastomeric materials may be suitable for use as the elastomer in the tire 30, but any material utilized must have a high abrasion resistance, must be capable of being milled, must be capable of being elongated and returning to its original form without serious deformation, and must not be subject to "cold flowg" that is permanently deforming in response to strain.
The urethane tire 3~ is provided with a notch 48 situated on each lateral edge approximately half way between the surface of the core 41 and the outer circumferential surface of the tire 30. This notch is provided so that even 1 if the elastomer surface expands during operation of the blade roll~ the ends of the blades situated in the slots will still contact the blade retaining means.
The depth of the slots in ~he elastomer coating 30 are not critical, but the slots must be deep enough to hold securely at least the base portion 43 of the chopper blade in position in the blade roll cylinder member. The slots 39 extend in an axial direction at a slight angle (e.g. between 5 and 20) with respect to the axis of rotation of the blade roll cylinder member 29. The chopper blades 28 protrude radially outwardly from the circumferential surface of the tire 30 to a height which is normally about one-fourth the depth of the slots. It has been useful to use slots having a depth of about 0.5 inch with a blade having a height of about 0.~25 inch so that the blade protrudes about 0.125 inch and a blade thickness of about .0~0 inch along its base 43. The blades 28 extend in an axial direction a distance slightly greater than the axial extent o~ the slots 39 so that each side of the blade protrudes in an axial direction from the tire 30. With this construction the blades are securely held in position in the blade roll cylinder 29 and the urethane coating on which the blades are seated absorbs the shock imposed when cutting the strands 15.
The urethane facing 21 on ~he backup roll 19 wears under the chopper blades 28. Such wear is accommodated in part by arranging for relative movement between the blade roll 38 and the backup roll 19. The backup roll 19 can be reversed so that its strand starter reg-ion, that region unobstructed by the chopper blade 28, can be interchanged with its chopping region, that portion contacted by the blades. Furthermore, the urethane facing 21 can be replaced as can be the urethane coating 30.
~s9~ 3 1 In addition to the blade roll cylinder member and the chopper blades, the blade roll 38 further includes blade retaining means. A preferred embodiment of a suitable blade retain;ng means is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. A pair of annular blade retainers 32 having inwardly directed flanges 33 with slopes matching the incline of the trapezoidal blades 28 (e.g. 60 with respec~ to the axis of rotation of the blade roll 3~) are secured to the ends of the core 41 of the blade roll cylinder member 29. The blade roll cylinder member 29 and the annular blade retainers 32 may be constructed with aligning holes, as at 46, through which socket head cap screws 44 may be threaded so as to fasten the blade retainer to the side of the blade roll cylinder member. Other eonven-tional fastening means could be employed if desired, so long ~;
as the blade retaining means contacts the ends of the chopper blades. A blade roll end cover 42 finishes each end face of the blade roll 38.
As illustrated in FIG. 2~ retainers 32 have annular grooves 34 in the inwardly directed flanges 33.
Blade retaining rings 36 are partially positioned within each annular groove 34 such that the blade retaining rings will engage the ends of the chopper blades to hold the chopper blades in position in the blade roll cylinder member when the blade retainers are in place at the ends of the blade roll cylinder member 29. Thus, the blade retaining rings 36 will accomodate any dimensional differences in components. By positioning a portion of the blade retaining rings within the annular grooves 34 the chopper blades 28 cannot completely sever the retaining rings and therefore the prior art disadvantage of having portions of the retaining means severed by the edges of the blades such that portions fly out from the assembly during oFeration is eliminated.
Although the mwardly directed ~lange 33 of each blade retainer 32 may be supplied with only one annular groove 34, it is preferred t~at each flange be designed with two or moxe annular grooves. Also, the grooves as illustrated preferably should have a diameter less than the diamcter of the outer surface of the tire 30. However, it is possible to provide a groove l~ving a diameter greater t~an the diameter of the outer surface of ~he tire 30. Providing two blade retaining rings per blade retainer instead of one blade retaining ring per blade retainer reduces t~e stress on t~e blade retaining ring by a ~actor of -two.
~herefore, to decrease the amount of load Fer unit area of the blade retaining ring and to mlnimize safety hazards, it is pre~erable to use m~re than one retaining ring in each blade retainer. Each annular groove is supplied with one blade retaining ring 36.
It has been f3und that copper is an especially suitable material for use as the bla~e retaining rings 36. As -force is applied to the retainers 32 when the screws 44 are tightened, the copper is crushed by the blades and will "cold flow" around and grip the ends of the chopper blades 28. After such force has been applied and the chopper assembly 17 is ready ~or use, the chopper blade retaining rings will have the configuration as show~l in FIG. 5 and represented by reference num~ral 3~a. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the axial length of the chop~er blades 28 is slightly longer than ~he axial length of the slots 39. Therefore, initially the axial extremities of ~he tire 30 do not contact t~e axially inward surfaces of the retainers 32.
A~ ~,' . 1. ~:.
~ g~ 3 1 From this figure, it is apparent that the sides 47 of the chopper blades 28 have produced a series of indentations 45 in the retaining rings. These indentations do not go through the entire ring, since even at the greatest dimensional tolerance~ movement of the chopper blades into the copper rings 36 will be stopped if they contact the blade retainer 32 which is preferably constructed of a high strength steel alloy due to the hiyh stress loading resulting from bold torques. The three sides of the indentations 45 tend to grip the ends 47 of the chopper blades. This construction compensates For dimensional variances in the axial lengths of the blades. The maximum length will be when both sides of the axially longest blade are in contact with the axially inward surfaces of the retainers 32. The sides of the blades 28 not in contact with the axially inward surfaces of the retainers 32 are restrained from radially outward movement due to centrifugal force by contact with the copper rings.
The indentations 45 also assist the tire 30 in restraining circumferential movement of the blades 38. The axially inward surfaces of ~he blade retainer 32 cooperate with the sides 47 of the trapezoidal blades to prevent the chopper blades from flying out of the blade roll cylinder member 29.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the blade retaining rings are comprised of copper. These copper rings are situated such that approximately 60% of the ring is within the recessed groove 34. The ends 47 of the chopper blades 2~ crush the copper ring and form the indentations 45 discussed above. Other materials may be suitable for use as the blade retaining rings. The amount of the blade retaining riny positioned within the groove 34 is not critical so long as a sufficient percentage is recessed to prevent !33 1 the ends 47 of the chopper blades 28 from completely cutting or tearing through the blade retaining ring.
The apparatus of the present invention lends itself to modification and has utility even in those instances where certain of the features illustrated are eliminated.
Accordingly9 it is to be understood that the above description is to be read as illustrative of the invention and not in a restrictive sense.
Claims (11)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A chopper assembly for cutting strands into short lengths comprising a blade roll, comprising:
a blade roll cylinder member having a plurality of chopper blades projecting generally radially therefrom, each of the blades having a cutting edge, a base portion, and two sides, and blade retaining means; at least the radially outer portion of said blade roll cylinder member comprising a resilient, durable, elastomer, said elastomer having a Shore A hardness greater than the hardness of the outer circumferential surface of said backup roll, said elastomer having a generally cylindrical outer surface configuration, said outer surface being provided with a plurality of milled slots therein which extend generally in an axial direction, said milled slots having a thickness slightly less than the thickness of said base portion of said chopper blades whereby the sides of the slots grip said chopper blades when said chopper blades are positioned in said slots;
a backup roll adjacent to the blade roll, means for supplying strands between said blades and said back up roll, and means for rotating said blade roll and said back up roll so that said strands delivered between said blades and said back up roll are cut into short lengths.
a blade roll cylinder member having a plurality of chopper blades projecting generally radially therefrom, each of the blades having a cutting edge, a base portion, and two sides, and blade retaining means; at least the radially outer portion of said blade roll cylinder member comprising a resilient, durable, elastomer, said elastomer having a Shore A hardness greater than the hardness of the outer circumferential surface of said backup roll, said elastomer having a generally cylindrical outer surface configuration, said outer surface being provided with a plurality of milled slots therein which extend generally in an axial direction, said milled slots having a thickness slightly less than the thickness of said base portion of said chopper blades whereby the sides of the slots grip said chopper blades when said chopper blades are positioned in said slots;
a backup roll adjacent to the blade roll, means for supplying strands between said blades and said back up roll, and means for rotating said blade roll and said back up roll so that said strands delivered between said blades and said back up roll are cut into short lengths.
2. A chopper assembly according to Claim 1 wherein said resilient, durable elastomer is a polyurethane.
3. A chopper assembly according to Claim 2 wherein said outer circumferential surface of said backup roll is a polyurethane.
4. A chopper assembly according to Claim 1 wherein said slots angle circumferentially of the blade roll cylinder member.
5. A chopper assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the thickness of said slots of about .0005 to .001 inch less than the thickness of the base portion of said blades positioned within said slots.
6. A chopper assembly according to Claim 3 wherein the polyurethane of the outer circumferential surface of said back up roll is about 83 durometer and the polyurethane of the outer circumferential surface of said blade roll member is at least about 85 durometer.
7. A chopper assembly according to Claim 1, wherein said blade retaining means comprises an annular blade retainer positioned at each axial extremity of said blade roll cylinder member, each axially inward surface of said blade retainers having at least one annular groove therearound and a blade retaining ring positioned partially within said at least one annular groove of each of said blade retainers; said blade retaining ring being deformed around the sides of said chopper blades at each side thereof to restrain said chopper blades against movement.
8. A chopper assembly according to Claim 7 wherein a plurality of annular grooves are formed in each axially inward surface of said blade retainers, and a blade retaining ring is positioned partially within each of said plurality of annular grooves.
9. A chopper assembly according to Claim 8, wherein said blade retaining rings are copper.
10. A chopper assembly according to Claim 9 wherein said blade retaining rings are positioned in said annular grooves such than 60% of said rings are situated within said annular grooves.
11. A chopper assembly according to Claim 8 wherein the base portion of said chopper blade extends in an axial direction a distance longer than the axial extent of the cutting edge of said chopper blade and wherein at least one of said blade retaining rings has a diameter less than the diameter of the outer surface of said blade roll cylindrical member.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US684,528 | 1976-05-10 | ||
| US05/684,528 US4083279A (en) | 1976-05-10 | 1976-05-10 | Apparatus for chopping strand |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1098883A true CA1098883A (en) | 1981-04-07 |
Family
ID=24748417
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA277,904A Expired CA1098883A (en) | 1976-05-10 | 1977-05-06 | Apparatus for chopping strand |
Country Status (7)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4083279A (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS52152521A (en) |
| BE (1) | BE854433A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1098883A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE2720880C3 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2350932A1 (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1079011B (en) |
Families Citing this family (33)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4248114A (en) * | 1979-02-28 | 1981-02-03 | Fiber Industries, Inc. | Cutter of elongated material |
| US4249441A (en) * | 1979-03-09 | 1981-02-10 | Johns-Manville Corporation | Apparatus for chopping strand |
| US4366737A (en) * | 1979-10-31 | 1983-01-04 | Molins Limited | Cutting head for filter assembler |
| FR2481985A1 (en) * | 1980-05-09 | 1981-11-13 | Saint Gobain Vetrotex | DEVICE FOR CUTTING CONTINUOUS YARNS, IN PARTICULAR GLASS YARNS |
| US4391169A (en) * | 1980-08-11 | 1983-07-05 | Hartford Fibres, Ltd. | Cutter with angular blades and method for cutting rope therewith |
| US4640165A (en) * | 1985-04-11 | 1987-02-03 | Baldwin Technology Corporation | Rotary knife system |
| GB2245858B (en) * | 1990-07-07 | 1994-05-18 | Dennis Walter Gallimore | Rotary cutter |
| US5970837A (en) * | 1996-12-18 | 1999-10-26 | Johns Manville International, Inc. | Chopper for cutting fiber continuously, and method |
| US6202525B1 (en) * | 1998-02-25 | 2001-03-20 | Johns Manville International, Inc. | Chopping apparatus |
| NL1012286C2 (en) * | 1998-11-27 | 2000-05-30 | Willem Frans Van Der Mast | Method and device for cutting fibers. |
| US6756114B2 (en) * | 2001-08-21 | 2004-06-29 | Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc. | Moldable pellet based on the combination of synthetic cellulose fibers and thermoplastic polymers |
| US6619573B2 (en) | 2001-08-22 | 2003-09-16 | Johns Manville International, Inc. | Chopper for cutting fiber continuously, and method |
| US20030047049A1 (en) * | 2001-09-13 | 2003-03-13 | Baker John R. | Method and apparatus for collecting uncut continuous materials and producing chopped continuous materials |
| US7866242B1 (en) * | 2002-04-19 | 2011-01-11 | Harris K Michael | Noise dampener hub assembly for a circular saw |
| US7363842B1 (en) | 2004-08-17 | 2008-04-29 | Johns Manville | Fiber chopper |
| US7360474B1 (en) | 2004-08-17 | 2008-04-22 | Johns Mnaville | Fiber chopper and method of chopping |
| US7424842B1 (en) | 2004-08-17 | 2008-09-16 | Johns Nanville | Fiber chopper |
| US7600454B2 (en) * | 2005-04-12 | 2009-10-13 | Johns Manville | Fiber chopper and method of controlling force |
| US7252026B2 (en) * | 2005-07-06 | 2007-08-07 | Johns Manville | Strand oscillator assembly for choppers and method |
| JP4965850B2 (en) * | 2005-11-22 | 2012-07-04 | オーウェンスコーニング製造株式会社 | Glass fiber strand cutting equipment |
| US8573103B2 (en) * | 2006-01-11 | 2013-11-05 | Johns Manville | Fiber chopper |
| FR2904331B1 (en) * | 2006-07-26 | 2008-09-26 | Saint Gobain Vetrotex | PERFECTED CUTTING WHEEL |
| US7661616B2 (en) * | 2006-10-27 | 2010-02-16 | Johns Manville | Chopper and method of chopping unwound items |
| US20080210066A1 (en) * | 2007-03-02 | 2008-09-04 | Russell Donovan Arterburn | Method for chopping unwound items and coated chopper blades |
| KR100887949B1 (en) | 2008-08-01 | 2009-03-12 | 반수동 | The cutting thread machine |
| US8684293B2 (en) | 2011-06-01 | 2014-04-01 | Johns Manville | Apparatus for starting moving items into a processing machine |
| US9862564B2 (en) | 2013-10-25 | 2018-01-09 | Columbia Insurance Company | Cutter assembly for stretched yarn |
| US10486335B2 (en) | 2014-12-08 | 2019-11-26 | Sabic Global Technologies B.V. | Process for the manufacture of glass fibre reinforced pellets |
| CN108473358A (en) * | 2015-12-02 | 2018-08-31 | Ocv智识资本有限责任公司 | Thermomechanical components and method are prescinded for manufacture chopped strand |
| CN108473359B (en) * | 2016-01-19 | 2021-10-08 | 欧文斯科宁知识产权资产有限公司 | Chopper assembly for producing chopped fibers and method for producing chopped fibers |
| US11032971B2 (en) * | 2019-04-11 | 2021-06-15 | Deere & Company | Composite stalk roll |
| CN112680831B (en) * | 2020-12-16 | 2021-11-19 | 深圳市特力新材科技有限公司 | Functional fiber ultra-short cutting processing equipment with automatic returning material reprocessing |
| CN113073399B (en) * | 2021-05-14 | 2022-03-29 | 泰安景行新材料有限公司 | Knife roll of chopping machine and chopping machine |
Family Cites Families (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL85567C (en) * | 1950-11-22 | 1900-01-01 | ||
| US2787314A (en) * | 1954-10-13 | 1957-04-02 | Ingersoll Rand Canada | Apparatus and method for forming a fiber reinforced plastic article |
| US3118336A (en) * | 1959-07-08 | 1964-01-21 | Fiber cutter | |
| US3130619A (en) * | 1960-12-21 | 1964-04-28 | Flintkote Co | Fiber cutter and aspirator |
| US3508461A (en) * | 1967-10-04 | 1970-04-28 | Owens Corning Fiberglass Corp | Chopper for glass strands |
| US3771399A (en) * | 1970-10-06 | 1973-11-13 | Fmc Corp | Shear cut perforator |
| US3763561A (en) * | 1972-02-22 | 1973-10-09 | Ransburg Electro Coating Corp | Fiber cutter |
| JPS4987598U (en) * | 1972-11-20 | 1974-07-30 | ||
| US3872255A (en) * | 1973-05-14 | 1975-03-18 | Ns Electronics | Digital communications system with time-frequency multiplexing |
-
1976
- 1976-05-10 US US05/684,528 patent/US4083279A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1977
- 1977-05-06 CA CA277,904A patent/CA1098883A/en not_active Expired
- 1977-05-09 IT IT49327/77A patent/IT1079011B/en active
- 1977-05-09 BE BE177418A patent/BE854433A/en unknown
- 1977-05-09 FR FR7714100A patent/FR2350932A1/en active Granted
- 1977-05-10 DE DE2720880A patent/DE2720880C3/en not_active Expired
- 1977-05-10 JP JP5366477A patent/JPS52152521A/en active Granted
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE2720880A1 (en) | 1977-11-24 |
| BE854433A (en) | 1977-11-09 |
| DE2720880C3 (en) | 1979-08-30 |
| FR2350932B1 (en) | 1981-01-02 |
| JPS52152521A (en) | 1977-12-19 |
| FR2350932A1 (en) | 1977-12-09 |
| DE2720880B2 (en) | 1979-01-04 |
| JPS6111897B2 (en) | 1986-04-05 |
| IT1079011B (en) | 1985-05-08 |
| US4083279A (en) | 1978-04-11 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |